(6:2-27) God's plan for the destruction of Jericho
Have seven priests go before the ark with seven trumpets of ram's horns. On
the seventh day, go around the city seven times. Finally, the priests blow
a long blast from the ram's horns, all the people shout, and the walls will fall
down.
(6:2) "The LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho."
(6:3) "All ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days."
(6:4) "Seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day
ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets."
(6:5) "And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye
hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat"
(6:6) "Let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD."
6:1
Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none
went out, and none came in.
6:2
And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho,
and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.
6:3
And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt
thou do six days.
6:4And seven priests
shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh
day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow
with the trumpets.
6:5And it shall come to
pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear
the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and
the wall of the city shall fall down flat., and the people shall ascend
up every man straight before him.
6:6
And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up
the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns
before the ark of the LORD.
6:7
And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him
that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD.
6:8
And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven
priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before
the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the
LORD followed them.
(6:8) "Seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them."
6:9
And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and
the rereward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the
trumpets.
6:10
And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make
any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth,
until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.
6:11
So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once: and they
came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.
6:12
And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of
the LORD.
6:13And seven priests
bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went
on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went
before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests
going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
(6:13) "And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually."
6:15) "On the seventh day ... after the same manner seven times ... they compassed the city seven times."
(6:17) "And the city shall be accursed ... and
all that therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live." God explains that Rahab is to be
spared since she hid Joshua's spies and lied to those who were searching
for them (Joshua 2:4-5). But why was everyone else killed? Some of them were
probably liars too. Is it OK to lie?
(6:18-19) Keep away from the accursed thing. Whatever the hell that is. And be sure to save all the silver and gold for God!
(6:18) "Keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it."
(6:19) "But all the silver, and gold ... shall come into the treasury of the LORD."
(6:20) "So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and ... the wall fell down flat."
6:14
And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the
camp: so they did six days.
6:15
And it came to pass on
the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the
day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they
compassed the city seven times.
6:16
And it came to pass at
the seventh time , when the priests blew with the trumpets,
Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.
6:17And the city shall be
accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD:only Rahab the
harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the
messengers that we sent.
6:18
And ye, in any wise keep
yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed,
when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a
curse, and trouble it.
6:19But all the silver, and
gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they
shall come into the treasury of the LORD.
6:20
So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came
to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people
shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people
went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the
city.
6:21And they utterly
destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and
ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.
(6:24) "The silver, and the gold ... they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD."
After killing everyone in Jericho, "they burnt the
city with fire, and all that was therein." Only the valuables (silver,
gold, brass, and iron) did they keep to "put into the treasury of the house
of the Lord."
(6:26) "Cursed be the man ... that ... buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn."
Joshua says that those who try to rebuild
Jericho will be accursed by God, and will have to sacrifice both their oldest
and their youngest sons in its construction. Well, Jericho still exists today,
and is often considered to be the world's oldest, continuously occupied city.
6:22
But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go
into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she
hath, as ye sware unto her.
6:23
And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her
father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they
brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.
6:24And they burnt the city
with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the
vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the
LORD.
6:25
And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and
all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she
hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
6:26
And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD,
that riseth up
and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his
firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
6:27
So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the
country.
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The Massacre of Jericho